Parents thwart man suspected of planning to meet minor for sex in Roseville

Courtesy photoRobert George Schmidt, 33, was arrested by Roseville police on Oct. 16 and charged with meeting a minor for sexual acts.

Roseville police detectives arrested a 33-year old man in Lake County on Tuesday after he reportedly planned to meet a teenaged boy in Roseville for sexual acts.

Robert George Schmidt, of Lakeport, is charged with meeting a minor for sexual acts and other related charges, according to Dee Dee Gunther of the Roseville Police Department. He was booked into Placer County Jail on a $400,000 bail.

Parents contacted local law enforcement on Sept. 29 about a man they said had driven from Lake County to Roseville to meet their son for sex, according to Gunther.

The parents had discovered inappropriate text messages on their son’s cell phone, including arrangements for an overnight stay at a hotel. The parents went to the meeting place and confronted the suspect before he could contact their son, according to Gunther. The suspect drove away and the parents contacted police.

Roseville detectives investigated and found that the suspect and victim met online in January and continued their relationship via cell phone text messages since that time, according to Gunther.

The police department encourages all parents to be aware of the need to keep children safe online. Most Internet and wireless providers offer tools to help parents monitor and restrict their children’s online activity and cell phone use.